Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Feb. 26, 1997, edition 1 / Page 4
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ith Heral February 26,1997 Campus Features Student Activities staff promotes campus involvement Dina DiMaio Copy Editor A studcot walks into (he office of studenl activities and leadership de velopment and asks, “Is there a lost and found here? I lost iny computer disk." Marge Keyes, the office manager, tells l)cr that the official lost and found is at the security office. She gives the student the number to security, offers to let her use the phone, and offers to take the student's name if the disk should pop up. It’s noon on a Thursday. The first- shiftstudent worker packs uplier back pack to leave. The phone rings. Keyes gets it in her office. Theofficedirector,CljeryUeiikins, and the assistant director. Shelly Hoover, are in a meeting. Another student runs in, request ing her yearbook. After the phone call, Keyes obliges. The office is bombarded daily witli such walk-in requests, but nobody minds. “I feel it is my job to help the students,” Keyes says, smiling. “That’s why we're liere." Keyes got her start in business in her home state of New York. After moving to North Carolina and work ing as a full-time homemaker, she de cided to work outside the home. Keyes was employed by the De- paruiientofPublicInstructtonandalso worked at an education lah at RTP before seeing an ad in the newspaper for a position at Meredith. She’s he^) working here for six years. Shortly, Jenkins and Hoover emerge from tlieii meeting, smiling to greet the student worker. Anotlier student requests a year book. Jenkins smiles, waving both arms upward. “We’re the one-stop shop,” she says. The Office of Studenl Activities and Leadership Development IS a one- stop shop and then some. Not only does it handle the affairsof Meredith’s 80 organizations, it deals with various leadership seminars and activities as well. The office aids organizations in planning their events and oversees all as pects of club needs from fundraising to reserving vans to training of ficers and fac ulty advisers. All organiza tion budgets are handled through the of fice also. Jenkins and Hoover themselves ad vise the major campus orga nizations, such asSGA,MEA, MRA, Senate, and tiie Prognunmiiig Board. Another important area the office deals with is leadership development. The office sponsors ilie Emerging Leaders Seminar for freslimeii and sophomores and the Junior/Senior Leadership Enrichment Series, fs’o- grams designed to raise students' lev els of confidence and knowledge in communication and leadersliip topics. The office sponsors the Fail Leader ship Conference for of ficers of organi zations, as well as Leadership Awards Day. At the end of tlie spring semester, the office holds a Presidents' Retreat for ttewly-elected organization presi dents to orient themselves to the office and each other. The Presidents’ Retreat is one of Jenkins’ favorite activities. “You get toknowthestudents you’ll be working with,” she says. She says tliey partici pate in rope courses and activities that are experiential. The Three Musketeers: Marge Keyes, office rrwnager; Cher^ and Shelley Hoova", assistant director. Although Keyes does not partici pate, she adds, “1 have seen the cama raderie that’s built at the Presidents’ Retreat.” As if the above activities weren’t enough, the office has started some new tilings this year. At the new Cate/ Park Center, it sponsors the informa tion desk and a dry-erase board of campus activities to alert students to what’s going on on campus and to answer dieir questions. The office also oversees the tiew game room. The people at the office are always brewing with new ideas and ways to make Meredith better. Jenkins is excited about a new high scliool leadership conference she and Hoover are doing. "It’s the firet time we’re doing it,” she says. Tlie most difficult part of working in tlie office, according to Jenkins, is “balancing it all” Because the office participates in so many capacities, from overseeing organizations to directing seminars to justplain being there for stur dents, things can gel a little hectic. Jenkins says,“Ilovemy job; 1 just wish there were more hours in the day.” Keyes agrees. “I enjoy every minuteof it.Tliat’swhyl hang around so much,” she jokes. The women laugh because Keyes is a part-time employee, but that isn’t evi dent by the time she puts in at Meredith. Jenkins is a take-charge person. She got her start at UNC/CH with a bachelor’s degree in speech commu nications. llien slie got a master's de gree io education iu student develop ment in higher educadon at NC State. She, too, has been at Meredith for six years, first as assistant director to the office and now as director. Jenkins is a memberof the North Carolina College Personnel Association, an organiza tion made up of student affairs profes sionals across the state, mostly people in higher education who work in stu dent development. Tliis year, Jenkins is president-elect and will serve as lenkins, directs, Staff Photo president of the association next year. Hoover IS also a member and serves asleadershipaHisoniumcliiiir. Hoover also holdsa bachelor’s degree in speech communications and another in jour nalism from the University of Kansas. She worked at the Greensboro Con vention and Visitors’ Center for a year before returning to get a master's in education in studenl personnel ser vices at tlie University of South (’aro- lina at Columbia. This year is her sec ond at Meredith. “I never thought I’d be in student activities or leadership development. It hooked me." she says. All three women enjoy tlieir work at Meredith. Hoover says that “watching the students' development” is rewarding. “I like seeing students succeed— to see them plan an event from stiirt t(> finish.'’ says Jenkins. And Jenkins’ favorite campus event? Class Day, without a doubt. Jenkins and Keyes both agree to that. Hoover, on tlie other hand, shouts, “Conihuskin’!” The women want the students to know that they are also a resource center for anyone interested in leader- shiptopics.They haveresourcesavail- able for check-out, including books, cassette tapes, videos, and catalogs. They themselves are resources for any student’s questions or concerns. “We’re tliere for all students, and you don’t have to be a big campus leader,” Jenkins says. Hoover nods. She .says, “We’re always open to ideas from students.” Although things around the office are usually chaotic. Jenkins stresses that “someone is always available” to address a student’s concerns. Keyes says, smiling, “We midce lime for people. Tliat’s why we’re here.” iiHNAlL 8; WORLD 832-2970 r wi r ! Full Set !! I II m *15 Valley Shopping Center Feny Road (Next To Kerr Drug) 2233-1! I Avent "We Use Ml 'OP/' Products I!’" »9 Tno offl !! i ! ! Pedicure ^ * Sculptured I Acrvllc NaflSllk j Acrylic II It Gg, Fill In With Tip ; I i ^Wiih Couponj CoupoiJ CouponJ jjVith CoupoiJ CoupoiJ Prices Good With Ad Only STAMAT continued from page 1 -Academic Advising Support Center -Financial Aid Counselor-Technical Assistant -Campus Intranet -Grants Officer andMajor Gifts Director -Creative Ideas Fund -Computer Hardware Specialist -Pay for First Year Experience Instructors -Evening Counselor -Commuter and Special Services Director -Advertising and Promotional Plan -Student Financiid Aid Although tlie new programs are approved for funding, before implementation they must also be approved by the academic, council, an elected group of faculty mem bers which establishes academic policy. "Swne of tlie academic programs have not been endorsed by the faculty’s academic council,” said Taylor. “Both funding and program approval must be in place before an initiative can move forward.'’ Taylorsaidthathisgoal isforMeredith “to define higher education m the 21st century,” and he believes that the Stamats recommendations, along with Initiative 2000, are going to do just that.
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Feb. 26, 1997, edition 1
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